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'dxd( $ Figure  1   VZY I&mage <=8C HKKKK !  _ ,j\6&"`z1% `E,,%y%y,,%j (#(#        (#(#  ReleaseNo.0073.00  X_XXXXX_ Remarks  `  #$##XXC#X` XXX 0  AsPreparedforDelivery#XX XX`# V (#(#   by n B  SecretaryofAgricultureDanGlickmanNationalOrganicStandardsWashington,DC--March7,2000U   "Goodafternoonandwelcome.Ihavealotofpeopletothankformakingtodayhappen.FirstandforemostareSenatorPatrickLeahywhoI'mgladcouldjoinustoday,andCongressmanPeter_DeFazio_Ԁwhocouldn'tbeheretoday--themenwhoguidedthisnow10yearoldlegislationthroughtheCongresstobeginwith...andIwasthereworkingwiththem.  "IwanttothankKathleen_Merrigan_,theNationalOrganicProgramstaffandeveryoneelseatUSDAwhoworkedsolongandhardonthisendeavor--notonlyfortheirtremendouseffortsinputtingthis650pageruletogether,butalsoforbeingsoresponsivetoconsumersandfarmers.  "Weputtogetheranorganicstandardthatiseasytounderstandandeasytoexplainjustwatch_me_.Notonlythat,whenitisfinallyinplace,itwillbethemostcomprehensive,strictestorganicruleintheworld,whichisthewayourconsumersandfarmerswantit.  "Idowanttopointoutthatthefactthatweareonceagainannouncingaproposedruleonnationalorganicstandardsisalivingexampleofourdemocracyatwork.ThepeoplespokeveryloudlyImightadd.It'sa_wellknown_Ԁfactthatwereceivedanunprecedented275,603commentsduringthefirstgoround.  "Theneedforthesestandardsroseoutoftheexponentialgrowthoforganicagriculture.Itisasectorthatisheretostay--growingfrom$78millionin1980toabout$6billiontodaywithcontinuinggrowthof20%ayear.And,whereasmostothersectorsofagriculturearelosingfarmers,thenumberoforganicfarmersisincreasingby_12_%peryear.Allofthisishappeninginresponsetoincreasingconsumerdemand.  "Ourgoalforthenationalorganicstandardistoensurethatitis:_strict_Ԁinwhatisacceptableasorganic;_is_Ԁpreciseinitsdefinitionoforganic;_is_Ԁeasyforconsumerstounderstand;_and_,throughitsuniformity,createsmoreeconomicpotentialforthenation's12,000organicfarmersanumberthatisgrowingandIbelievewillcontinuetogrowasaresultofthisproposal.  E   "Wewereaskedtoansweramostbasicquestion,"Whatisorganic?"  ӄmore 1/2 _Ԅ2  "Forfreshproduce,farmersmustmeetasetofexactingstandardsinhowtheircropsaregrown--asinusingonlyapprovedmaterialswhicharemostlynatural,andusingcroprotationandotherenvironmentalpractices.  "Forfreshmeatstobelabeledorganic,livestockmustberaisedaccordingtostrictrequirementswhichinclude,amongothers,organicfrombirth,noantibioticsand100%organicfeed.  "And,asI'vesaidbefore,innocasewilltheuseofirradiation,sewersludge,orgenetic_engineeringbe_Ԁpermittedintheproductionofanyorganicfoodsoringredients.  Finally,forconsumerswe'vecreatedalabelingsystemforprocessedfoodsthatissimple,easytounderstandandbrokendownintofourcategories.So,forexample,forsomethingtobelabeledasorganic,itmustcontainatleast95%organicingredients.Or,ifitonlyhasbetween50and95%organicingredients,thenthelabelmayonlysaythatitwasmadefromorganicingredients.  Andallofthismustbecertifiedbyprivateorstateregulatingauthorities.  "Butletme_be_Ԁclearonaveryimportantpoint.Theorganicclassificationisnotajudgmentaboutthequalityorsafetyofanyproduct.Organicisabouthowitisproduced.Justbecausesomethingislabeledasorganicdoesnotmeanitissuperior,saferormorehealthythanconventionalfood.Allfoodsinthiscountrymustmeetthesamehighstandardsofsafety_regardless_Ԁoftheirclassification.Fornutritioninformation,lookatthenutritionlabel.And,asforquality,that'samatterofpersonalpreference.  "Theorganiclabelisaboutgivingconsumersachoice.It'saboutgivingconsumersandfarmersadefinitionoforganicthattakestheguessworkoutoftheprocess.Consumersknowwhatthey'rebuyingandfarmersknowwhat'sexpectedofthem.  "Byestablishingauniformnationalorganicstandard,wearesmoothingthewayforevenmoregrowthinorganicagricultureandfurtheringthedevelopmentofanothernewmarketforfarmers.Thisrulewillalsohelporganicfarmersmoreeasilyexporttheirproductsbecauseourtradingpartnerswillknowexactlywhatthey'regetting.  "Butthat'snotallwe'redoing.Inadditiontoprovidingourtraditionalloanprogramsandconservationprogramsforfarmers--including,innextyear'sbudget,newfarmsafetynetconservationproposalsthat_have_Ԁabroaderreach--therearethreeotherorganicfrontswearemovingon.  "First,alsointhePresident'sbudgetwe'veproposed$5millioninresearchmoneyfororganicagriculture.Thismoneywillbeusedtodevelopimprovedproductionandprocessingmethods,evaluateeconomicbenefitstofarmers,developnewmarketsandsupportgeneralresearchonorganicfarming.  "Second,allfarmingcarries_withit_Ԁacertainamountofrisk.And,althoughlastyearthefederalcropinsuranceprogramwroteover1millionpoliciesprovidingfarmerswith$30billioninprotection,mostorganicfarmersdonotqualifyforcoverage.Thatiswhywe'reputtingtogetherapilotorganiccropinsuranceprogramtohelporganicfarmersbettermanagerisk.  ӄmore 0/3 Є3<  "Third,weareenteringintoacooperativeagreementwithUniversityofCalifornia,DavisforresearchonorganicproductionandthemarketingoforganicfruitsandvegetablesunderUSDAmarketingorderprograms,whichallowfarmerstoworktogethertoincreasesales.  "IdobelievethatthenewNationalOrganicStandardsrulehitsthemark--butwe'llletthepublicbethefinaljudgeofthat.Ilookforwardtoworkingwiththeorganiccommunityinthenextfewmonthsongettingafinalruleinplacethisyear.Togetherwiththeotheractionswearetakingtoday,Ibelieveitbeginstopavethewayforevenmoredramaticgrowthinthe_organic_Ԁsector,giventhegrowingconsumerdemandfortheseproducts.  Thankyou.̀#_  # _